130 participants in the 30th edition at the
Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti
The presentation conference of the Spoleto International Dance Competition took place at the Town Hall; the competition will roll at the Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti from 15 to 21 May.
The meeting with the press was moderated by journalist Federico Fioravanti, who recalled that this is the 20th edition in Spoleto, and then gave the floor to the first citizen Andrea Sisti: “Beauty is ageless, just like the works of art; the Spoleto International Dance competition carries a great message of hope in these rough times. We are open and attentive to it, as it is capable of amplifying such important views.”
This year, the event will count around 130 participants, dancers will be coming from Hungary, Korea, Ukraine and Bulgaria. Considering the teachers, organisers and accompanying persons, the induced activity is around 350 people, a clear economic benefit for the city as underlined by the Councillor for Marketing and Entrepreneurial Innovation and Tourism 4.0 for the enhancement of the local economy Giovanni Angelini Paroli: “If such great events find a home in Spoleto for so many years, this translates into worldwide brand awareness of Spoleto, and we can only be happy about that.”
Its participants and judges coming from all over the world, the event is twinned with the Chinese festival International Dance Competition China – Spoleto and is the only one in Italy to be part of the International Federation of Ballet Competition, which brings together the world’s most prestigious dance competitions.
So spoke Director General Paolo Boncompagni: “I hope this will be the year of rebirth. The 2020 edition was skipped due to the pandemic, the 2021 edition was scaled down and, although of very high quality, was exclusively Italian due to health restrictions. This year we have an extraordinary international jury, an exceptional opening with the performance of the Korean company Mut Dance, and the grand closing with the Winners’ Gala. I would like to thank the City of Spoleto and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Spoleto who have always supported us.”
Chairing the 2022 Jury will be Maria Grazia Garofoli, former etoile of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Director of the Arena di Verona Ballet Corps and Company Director. At her side: international etoile Julio Bocca, one of today’s most brilliant dancers, sensitive interpreter of temporary choreographies and Argentine folklore; Oleksi Bessmertni, founder and Artistic Director of the Tanzolymp International Dance Festival in Berlin; Kathryn Bennetts, from Australia, Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders until 2012, currently stages Willians Forsyte’s works worldwide; Kim Jung A, President and Artistic Director of the MutDance company, lecturer for the master course at various universities in Korea, including Ewha Womans University, Daegu Yeungnam University and Seowon University; Serhij Bondur, Ukrainian People’s Artist Emeritus, teacher and maitre du ballet at the Kiev National Opera.
Also returning will be the Critics’ Prize, the first to be included in a Dance competition (2012), devised by Sara Zuccari, journalist, historian, dance critic for Tgcom24 Mediaset and Director of the Giornale della Danza, who will chair the Jury again this year.
Artistic director Irina Kashkova decided to entrust the opening of its 30th anniversary to the Flower of Korean Dance performance by the Mut Dance Company. Present at the press conference were the soprano Cecilia Kim Hyum Chung and the 17 dancers who will perform on Sunday 15 on the stage of the Teatro Menotti, and the Director, choreographer Kim Jung A who immediately appreciated the atmosphere in Spoleto: “I was very impressed by the beauty of the city, it is the first time for me and this warm welcome moved me.“
For info and reservations, please contact 328.3078377. Regulations and further info on the competition: www.idcspoleto.com – Facebook: @concorsospoleto – Instagram: @idc_spoleto
